


absent virtues (but they're not exactly missed)

by 97skies



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boys Kissing, First Dates, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute, Soft Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Soft Wen Jun Hui | Jun, bc they're whipped, famous!joshua, joshua is just really pretty okay that's the only explanation here, junhui definition of gemini chaos, non-famous!junhui
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:06:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27433276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/97skies/pseuds/97skies
Summary: Junhui’s never been a very patient man.So when beanie guy struggles through his third sentence in Mandarin, he cuts him off, ignoring the way Minghao giggles from his perch behind the counter.(prompt: “you’re an international celebrity and i didn’t actually know that until after we went on a first date that explains why you were acting so secretive now how is this going to work because i don’t want to be in any magazines but i’m already completely in love with you”)
Relationships: Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Wen Jun Hui | Jun
Comments: 18
Kudos: 165





	absent virtues (but they're not exactly missed)

**Author's Note:**

> ahahahaha hello! welcome 2 more junshua bc i have a problem. 
> 
> wrote this while i was procrastinating both my homework and my biggie wip, please do not be like me. 
> 
> this was seriously supposed to be like less than 2k... but here we are. some very real suspension of disbelief is required here!! you've been warned LOL. i found this prompt while randomly messing w a prompt generator, and it just screamed junshua to me. dorks. 
> 
> listened to [Good Evening](https://open.spotify.com/track/3mjfQvA5gAV6XnH0ZWnIyI) on repeat while writing this.. would recommend. 
> 
> this is a mess. but so am i! hope you enjoy!!!

Junhui’s never been a very patient man. 

And he knows that. Is also generally okay with it. 

So when beanie guy struggles through his third sentence in Mandarin, he cuts him off, ignoring the way Minghao giggles from his perch behind the counter. 

“Listen, I really appreciate that you’re trying, but we  _ do _ speak Korean.”

Junhui can see his flush, even from behind the mask and scarf pulled up around his neck. He must be really sick or something, this bundled up in the middle of May. 

“Right,” He sighs, trying his best to laugh at himself, which Junhui can appreciate. “Sorry. Just trying to practice.” 

And Junhui can appreciate that, too. But there’s a line forming behind him, and several of the customers look mildly irritated. Not great for business. 

“I got most of your order, but what was the last part?” Junhui asks, and beanie guy tells him through another serious blush. Junhui finishes taking his order, and after he pays, he says thank you with a smile that bleeds all the way up to his eyes. It’s the only part of him that Junhui can see because of the mask, but they’re sparkly and they disappear into crescent moons. Junhui smiles back, handing him his change. 

  
  


“Can you take over? I wanna hand him his order.” Junhui murmurs to Minghao behind the counter, when beanie guy’s order comes from the kitchen. 

Minghao rolls his eyes. “The mummy? You can’t even see what he looks like,” 

“I know.” Junhui shrugs. “But he’s cute. I can tell.” 

Minghao gives him a dejected look, but slides over to the register anyway. He’s never been a big believer in Junhui’s ability to read people, but he’ll take any opportunity he can to entertain himself. And, whatever. Junhui can just  _ sense _ something about beanie guy, and he’s good at trusting his gut. Even if it betrays him more often than not. Again,  _ whatever _ . 

He calls out the order number, and beanie guy looks up from where he’s seated across the restaurant. He gives the same smile when he comes to collect his food, and Junhui feels a familiar pull in his gut. 

“I know this is weird, but could I maybe get your number?” asks Junhui, because he’s also never been good at subtlety. 

Beanie guy is, predictably, taken aback. It quickly transforms into amusement, though, when he glances down at his elaborate cover up and back up to meet Junhui’s eyes, like a question. Or a challenge. Either way, Junhui doesn’t say anything, just lets his words hang in the air over the counter separating them. 

Beanie guy huffs out a laugh under his mask. “How about this,” He starts, and leans against the counter. Junhui’s listening, because beanie guy’s eyes are  _ very _ shiny. “Are you free tonight?” 

“Yeah.” Junhui lies, because even though he’s not currently, Wonwoo can definitely take a rain check. 

“Good.” Beanie guy says, with another twinkle of his eyes. Junhui wonders if they always do that, or if the lighting in the restaurant has just magically become very ethereal. “Meet me here at 7:30, okay?” 

And, well. Junhui’s always been a fan of spontaneity. He knows Minghao and Seokmin are going to chide him for being so reckless, and that this guy could be a murderer, or something. They’re definitely right, but what’s life without a little risk? And besides, this guy doesn’t look exactly threatening, with his giant hoodie and fuzzy scarf. He presses his hand on the counter, leaning towards the beanie guy and cocks his head to the side. He’s never been afraid of a challenge. 

“I’ll be here.” He says, not even bothering to ask his name. 

Beanie guy doesn’t give it, just nods and gathers his takeout. Junhui watches him as he trails out of the restaurant, grinning when he turns around at the door. Junhui can spot the smile he gives, even from behind the counter and from underneath his mask. 

  
  


Several hours later, after a phone call with a mildly disappointed Wonwoo (Soonyoung gets off work in an hour—he’ll be fine), and an excruciating conversation with a disbelieving Minghao and a concerned Seokmin, Junhui stands in front of Minghao’s family’s Chinese restaurant, dressed in his good jeans and Mingyu’s nicest hoodie. He checks his phone, where there are several messages that read something along the lines of  _ please send your location  _ or  _ did you even bring your wallet?  _ and  _ if you die, can I have your Switch? _ He promptly turns off his ringer and shoves it into the pocket of his hoodie. 

At 7:30 exactly, a sleek black car pulls up in front of the restaurant, and rolls down the passenger side window. Junhui ducks his head down, and feels just a little bit giddy when he sees beanie guy, now in a blue beanie instead of green, but still wearing a mask, in the driver’s seat. 

“Hi, question.” He says, because he needs to humor his friends just a little. “Are you going to murder me now?” 

Beanie guy laughs, kinda squeaky and obviously amused. “Good question, and,  _ no _ . Are you going to murder me?” 

“No, and cool.” Junhui grins, stepping back to open the door. He plops in the seat, and wow, okay, this car is  _ nice _ . Beanie guy is either loaded, or stupid enough to spend a shit ton of money on a nice car in a city that’s riddled with public transport, but Junhui’s okay with both, really. 

“Okay, where are we going?” Junhui asks, skipping over the mask, because the mystery is entertaining, and what does he have to lose? 

“Actually,” Beanie guy says, switching into drive. “I was wondering if you know any good sundae places? I haven’t been to Korea in forever.” 

Questions, so many questions. But, the night is young, so Junhui answers with a hum. “I do, but I’m going to ask that you tell me your name first.” 

Beanie guy laughs, and man, is it a wonderful sound. 

“Fair. I’m Josh.” 

“Cool, I’m Junhui. Take a left at the end of this street.” 

  
  


They get out at Junhui’s favorite night market, and Junhui finds out exactly five things on the car ride that stick in his mind. 

  1. His full name is Joshua.
  2. He has very nice hands, which look even nicer on the steering wheel of his very nice car. 
  3. His text messages are all in English, which meant that Junhui couldn’t eavesdrop when they popped up on the screen on the dashboard. 
  4. He really missed sundae when he wasn’t in Korea.
  5. He doesn’t talk much, and seems content on listening to Junhui spout whatever comes to his mind. At red lights, he’ll turn and listen, like what Junhui’s saying is going to be on a test at the end of the night, or something. It’s only slightly jarring. 



Joshua leaves his mask and beanie on, and Junhui doesn’t say anything. He’s ditched the scarf from earlier, though, and Junhui can definitely appreciate the sweater covering his shoulders. If he’s sick, he certainly doesn’t look like it. They park a few blocks away, and Junhui guides him through the market, waving at his usual vendors as they pass by. His favorite taffy man smiles, but his face falls a little when he sees Joshua, then sets firmly on confusion. Junhui sputters as Joshua pushes him quickly past the taffy cart, saying something about being starving and  _ c’mon I need sundae _ . Weird. 

They arrive at the little sundae shop, and Joshua pulls him aside at the entrance. 

“Okay, I know this is weird and I’m really sorry,” he rushes, and Junhui’s eyebrows knit in confusion. “Can we get it to go? I’m sorry, this date is probably not what you had in mind and I—” 

“I love takeout.” is Junhui’s answer, and he places a hand on Joshua’s shoulder, watching as his frame relaxes. “And I don’t know what’s happening, but that’s okay, I usually don’t.” He shrugs, and Joshua laughs, cheeks creeping up into his eyes. 

“I’ll go order, and then we can go eat somewhere else, okay?” Junhui muses, and Joshua nods, then shakes his head, huffing. 

“Yeah, that’s perfect—and, again, I’m really sorry—” 

“No worries.” Junhui smiles before he walks up to the counter, where he’s immediately greeted by the vendor, a very enthusiastic woman who loves Junhui like a son. She makes him bend down so she can pinch his cheek, then takes his order. 

“Jun-ah,” She says, squinting over his shoulder as she hands him his change. 

“Yes, ma’am?” He answers. 

“Who is that boy you brought with you, and why did you make him stand over there by himself?” She’s scowling, and he’s reminded of both his mother and Minghao’s. “He’s a friend, and he’s just a little nervous, that’s all.” 

She crosses her arms, unconvinced. “Hey, you!” She calls, and Junhui scrambles trying to get her to stop, to no avail. “Jun-ah’s friend! Is he treating you well?” 

Joshua looks up, his eyes wide over his mask. He looks a little bit like a deer in headlights, but quickly composes himself as he walks up to the counter. He nods, quietly. “Yes, ma’am, he is.” 

“Are you sure? If he’s not, you just tell me, okay?” She teases, and Junhui’s more endeared than anything, despite how his ears are burning. “He’s nothing but trouble, this one.” 

“Really?” Joshua drawls, turning toward Junhui, obviously enjoying partaking in her schemes. “Yes, ma’am, I can believe that.” 

She laughs, clicking her tongue as her husband passes her the bag of sundae. She holds it hostage over the counter, looking pointedly up towards Junhui. “You be nice to him, Jun-ah, alright?” 

“Yes, ma’am. Cross my heart.” He promises, giving her his best puppy-eyes. She narrows her eyes, but it doesn’t help the smile that crosses her face. She hands him the bag, chiding, “Go on then, it’s late, Jun-ah!” 

He thanks her again, smiling, and Joshua does nothing to hide his laughter as they leave the shop. As they pass the window, though, Junhui barely sees the woman making a face as she watches them walk away, and he’s positive that she lets out a gasp as her husband shows her something on his phone. 

He shrugs it off, because stranger things have certainly happened. They make their way back to Joshua’s car, and once they get inside, Joshua groans. 

“I’m so hungry, I’m going to die.” 

“We could just eat in here, y’know. Unless you’re a neat freak and don’t want me to make a giant mess, because I probably will.” 

Joshua laughs, but his smile shrinks a little bit as he looks through his window. Junhui doesn’t know what he sees, exactly, but he looks up and says, “I don’t mind the mess, but can we drive somewhere with like,” Joshua squirms a little in his seat, and flexes his hand on the steering wheel. “Less people?” 

“Yeah, sure.” Because Junhui doesn’t really care, he’s already having a better time than most of his dates in the last year. “How about a parking structure? There’s one a couple blocks away that has a really nice view of Gangnam.” 

Joshua turns to him, amusement dripping from his expression, even with half his face hidden. “You hang out at a lot of parking structures?” 

“You heard that auntie,” Junhui answers, with a wicked grin. “I’m nothing but trouble.” 

  
  


They pull up to the top of the parking structure, finding a spot far away from any other cars, and Joshua visibly relaxes. Junhui pretends not to notice, instead digging in the bag of food, where he miraculously finds two sodas and enough napkins to save even  _ him _ from a mess. He’s definitely stopping by that sundae place tomorrow, he owes that auntie his life. 

He also pretends not to vibrate with anticipation as he hands Joshua his food, watching through his peripheral as he reaches up to take off his mask. 

And,  _ holy shit _ . Junhui had pretty much convinced himself that Joshua must be completely busted from the nose down, or just be some sort of empty, bottomless void that defies space and time. It would only be fair, considering that the top half of his face looks like something out of an anime or Junhui’s pipe dreams. So when he pulls it off to reveal the most beautiful person Junhui’s ever seen, he can’t stop the way he chokes on his bite of sundae in shock. 

“Oh my god—are you okay?” He asks, completely cruel and attractive in his concern as he hands Junhui a napkin. 

“Yeah, just,” Junhui sputters, catching his breath. He looks Joshua square in the eyes, because, well, fuck it. “You’re extremely hot and I wasn’t exactly prepared.” 

Joshua laughs, his face going red, which is totally endearing and unfair. “My apologies.” 

“It’s okay, but I see why you wear the mask, now.” Junhui turns back to his food, never one to lose his nerve because of a pretty face (maybe his ability to swallow properly but—that’s unimportant). “That thing is a weapon, and should only be used with extreme discretion.” 

Joshua cracks up, and Junhui makes a silent promise to make him do that as often as he can. It’s a very nice sound, after all. 

They dig in, and talk about pretty much anything and everything. He asks Junhui about moving to Korea, and how he managed to end up working at his best friend’s family’s restaurant part-time, and Junhui tells him about his adventures of being a foreigner in a new country, as well as his decision to pursue culinary school in Korea after training for a while in China. Joshua nods as he chews, and it’s the first time in a long time that Junhui really feels like someone’s  _ listening _ as he talks. Because, he loves his friends, and they’re good to him, but he knows he can be taxing sometimes. Joshua just sits back, though, laughing at his terrible jokes and asking him about cooking or China or his friends. 

Joshua, however, is painfully vague in his descriptions at the beginning, but by the time their bag is empty and Junhui’s sitting sideways in his seat, facing him with his body, he starts to wear down. He’s from Los Angeles, but he used to visit his family in Korea all the time when he was little, and only recently made the decision to come back more often. He’s a musician, and he says he’s still studying, which is why he decided to come and work with a few producers in Seoul. He gets horrible homesickness, and likes to drink bubble tea and watch movies when it gets bad. He also has been learning Mandarin for a few years, but never really had the chance to use it much back in the US, which is why he wanted to try at the restaurant. This, Junhui finds hilarious, and is leaning forward in his seat with laughter when Joshua tells him. 

“You’re mean and awful and I regret telling you.” Joshua pouts, crossing his arms, but Junhui sees the twinkle in his eyes. 

He sits up, stuttering to catch his breath. “I’m sorry, you’re right, but it’s  _ so _ funny,” Joshua rolls his eyes and shoves his shoulder. “You’re in  _ Korea _ , Josh. Did you seriously think that just because it’s a Chinese restaurant, everyone was going to be able to speak Mandarin?” 

“I don’t know! I mean, you  _ do _ speak Mandarin, don’t you?” 

“Yes, but what if I didn’t?” Junhui snorts, but tries to collect himself at Joshua’s expression. He mostly fails, but it’s the thought that counts.

“Whatever, it worked out, didn’t it?” 

“What? Speaking Mandarin at the first vaguely Chinese-resembelling person you could find?”

“No,  _ asshole _ ,” Joshua huffs, “I mean, you asked for my number, so it wasn’t a total loss.” 

Junhui’s stomach flips at that, and he’s mostly positive it’s not the sundae. Mostly. 

“Yeah, I guess,” He smiles into his lap, biting his lip. “You still haven’t given it to me, by the way.” 

“What? My number?” 

Junhui rolls his eyes. “Your insurance card. Yes, your phone number.” 

Joshua pauses for a second, still in his position facing Junhui. If Junhui wasn’t both very stubborn and very confident, he would probably be crestfallen at that, but he is, so he’s not. Joshua looks up at him, and Junhui meets his eyes. They’re really very nice, bright and shiny, reflecting the flickering lights from the buildings around them. Junhui would probably be content to just sit there for hours, picking out all the swirls of light and the shades of brown, but Joshua’s staring him down determinedly, and it’s almost startling. Junhui feels a little bit like he’s being picked apart, pulled at the edges and sifted through, but he doesn’t really mind. He’s always worn his heart on his sleeve, after all. 

He raises his eyebrows, a smirk creeping up onto his face, and Joshua seems to decide. His shoulders drop a little, relaxing, and he holds out his hand, palm up. Junhui, almost instinctively, places his own flat on top, Joshua’s fingertips brushing against his wrist. Joshua looks away quickly, and laughs with nervousness, but doesn’t pull away. 

“Your  _ phone _ , dumbass.” 

“Oh! Right.” Junhui feels his cheeks heating up as he digs in his pocket, but he takes it in stride, as he does with most things. He hands over his phone, reveling in the way Joshua shakes his head, maybe in disbelief, maybe in amusement, either way. He’s grinning, and man, is it infectious. 

“I’m giving you my personal number, okay?” 

Junhui snorts. “As opposed to what? Do you still have a landline, or something?” 

Joshua stares at him, a tiny smile playing on his lips. Junhui feels a little bit like he’s missing something, but he pushes it away, because Joshua takes a deep breath and leans his head against the seat. His smile stretches to its fullest, all white teeth and cheeks and makes Junhui’s chest pound furiously. 

“Yeah, something like that.” 

  
  


They sit, facing each other in the car and talking for far too long. Junhui knows his friends are going to kill him for not answering, especially Seokmin, but he has his location on. If they were really  _ that _ concerned, they could always come looking for him. 

He bumps his head against the seat, his eyes mutinying with sleep despite the rest of his body teeming with alertness. Joshua looks a little tired, too, but Junhui thinks that Joshua’s version of tiredness is far superior to most people’s. His eyes droop every once in a while, and his smiles have turned lazy and slow, but he mainly looks cozy. He sort of makes Junhui want to curl up under a blanket and hold him to his chest until he falls asleep, but this is barely a first date, and that might be a  _ teensy _ bit forward. 

“It’s kinda late.” Joshua comments, glancing at the clock on the dashboard. 

“It’s extremely late,” Junhui laughs, his voice a little hoarse from all the talking. “You’re on KST now, friend.” 

“Is it okay if I take you home?” 

Junhui hums. “Yes, but if your plan was to rob me, my roommate is a master at martial arts and would most definitely kick your ass.” 

Joshua giggles, and Junhui feels warm all over. “Duly noted.” 

Junhui sits up, stretching his neck and adjusting to sit in the seat properly. He feels a hand on his shoulder, and turns to see Joshua staring at him, his eyes a little wild as he chews on his lip. 

“Yes?” 

“Nothing, I just,” He starts, but loses steam halfway through. “Yeah, nothing.” 

And,  _ hot damn _ . That won’t do, because Junhui is, as aforementioned, extremely impatient. 

“What?” He says, turning back to him, not hiding how he follows the movement of Joshua worrying on his bottom lip. 

“It’s nothing.” Joshua tries to wave his hand, but Junhui reaches forward and catches his wrist. Joshua sucks in a breath. 

Junhui doesn’t have a plan, but he starts anyway, because he’s nothing if not stubborn. “It’s okay if it really is nothing, or you don’t want to say it,” He says, carefully, feeling Joshua’s pulse pick up under his fingertips. “But if you want to say it, you can.” 

Junhui dutifully ignores the hammering in his chest, because Joshua’s wrist is very soft and smooth and warm and suddenly the car feels very tiny, and this has been pretty much the best night of Junhui’s year, and Joshua’s just looking at him like he  _ sees _ him, and it’s all. So much. 

“I just,” Joshua begins, and it’s practically a whisper. He swallows, and seems to decide on something, and breaks away from Junhui’s eyes to crane his neck through the windows. 

Which has Junhui massively confused, and already missing the feeling of Joshua’s eyes on him, which is totally  _ weird _ and not really something to miss, but also  _ what _ . 

Junhui’s frozen in the seat, still holding lightly onto Joshua’s wrist, when he finishes looking out of all the windows, and comes back to look straight into Junhui’s eyes. It makes him pretty much feel like he’s on fire. 

He glances down to Junhui’s lips, and  _ oh _ . Junhui swallows, because the mere thought of it nearly makes him explode, and he’s sort of itching to fill the silence with words, or even an awkward laugh, or  _ anything _ besides the sounds of their shallow breathing and the feeling of something hanging in the air. 

Joshua doesn’t let him, though, because he pushes himself forward, taking his free hand to cup Junhui’s jaw. Junhui sucks in a breath, his brain filled with static, and Joshua swipes his thumb along Junhui’s bottom lip, slow and deliberate. Junhui’s head is fuzz, completely useless, but he knows he’s exhausted by the distance, so he tips his head forward and connects their lips. 

And,  _ holyfuckingshit _ . 

As previously stated, Junhui’s brain is totally unsalvageable, mainly short-circuited by the fact that Joshua is soft, and gentle, and entirely too easy to sink into and forget about the world, the galaxy, the universe. He can make out, just barely, that Joshua twists his head to the side, and he thinks he sighs, but he really can’t be sure. He can’t be trusted like this, with his hand snaking up to hold at Joshua’s arm and his brain leaking out of his ears and down onto his shoulders. 

He has one tiny thought, that he could do this forever, connected at the mouth to Joshua for the rest of time, because his lips are just horribly terribly soft, and he’s just so good at this. How is it allowed, legally, for anyone to be so good at this? Because they’re awkwardly leaning over the center console, and Junhui is probably still holding his wrist, and Joshua’s barely managed to sneak his hand around to the back of Junhui’s hair, but Junhui somehow has no inclination for stopping. Not when Joshua licks along his bottom lip and just keeps kissing him like the only source of oxygen in the world is Junhui’s mouth. 

Lucky—or unlucky, up to you—for Junhui, Joshua pulls back, gasping and looking wild, like he’s just been injected with caffeine. Which is kind of exactly how Junhui feels. Awake. Energized. Like he may never sleep again. 

“Wow, okay,” He breaths, a hint of laughter, still hovering dangerously close to Junhui’s face. “I… I wanted to do that, in case I can’t later.” 

Junhui doesn’t really get that, but whatever. Joshua can do that literally whenever he feels like, as far as Junhui is concerned. 

“Okay.” quips Junhui, swallowing as he tries to gain back the feeling in his extremities. “Well, I’m glad you did because, holy shit,” Joshua laughs. “You’re really fucking good at that.” 

Joshua leans back out of Junhui’s space, probably a good choice, but Junhui misses him anyway. “Ditto.” 

He sits back in his seat, and Junhui tries to, too. Though, it’s kind of difficult when he feels like he’s being pulled by Joshua’s mouth, like his body has found a new gravitational pull. 

“I’m gonna take you home now, before I do something really stupid.” 

Junhui laughs, pulling on his seatbelt. He looks over at Joshua through his eyelashes. “Would that be so bad?” 

Joshua runs his hands over his face, flustered. It’s disarming, in a way that’s both very new and very welcome to Junhui. 

“You really are nothing but trouble, you know that?” 

  
  


Joshua drives him home, and they both pretend not to notice when Junhui’s fingers come and tap along the back of Joshua’s hand, resting on the gearshift. When they pull up outside of Junhui’s apartment, Joshua gives this headlong, wistful sort of look that makes Junhui’s brows knit in concern. 

“I really want to kiss you again, but I can’t.” 

Wow,  _ ouch _ . “Um, okay,” Junhui laughs, masking the hurt in his voice, or at least trying to. He probably doesn’t do a very good job. “Now, or like, ever?” 

Joshua’s eyes go wide, and he grapples for Junhui’s hand, which is once again, disarming. “Now, now, definitely now,” He laughs, squeezing Junhui’s fingers. “I would really like to do this again, at some point, if you want to.” 

Yes, yes, holy fucking shit,  _ yes _ . “Yes, I would most definitely want to.” 

Joshua grins, suddenly bashful, which is pretty remarkable to Junhui. “Okay, cool. Text me when you get inside, please?” 

“Of course.” Junhui’s surprised that his face hasn’t ripped open, honestly, from all the grinning. 

“Thanks, y’know, for this.” 

“Anytime.” 

“Goodnight.” He says, giving a final squeeze to Junhui’s fingers. It’s all he can do to keep from leaning over the console and kissing him again. “Goodnight.” Junhui answers, and gathers himself up as he opens the door. 

He turns back just as he reaches the doorway of his building. Joshua has his mask back on, but Junhui can make out how he’s grinning with his eyes anyway. He waves, expecting him to drive off, but he makes a motion urging Junhui to go inside, and he rolls his eyes. He gives a final wave, and slinks inside his apartment building. He stands in front of his door, behind which most definitely waits several of his friends, probably irritated and relieved, but expecting details above anything else. Junhui pauses and sends Joshua a text, then opens the door. 

  
  


The next morning, Junhui wakes up exhausted, but mostly giddy at the thought that his date with magic-beanie-man was actually  _ real _ . He knows this, because he had been up for an extra two hours relaying all the events of his night to Seokmin and Minghao, who looked excited and skeptical at turns, but again. Whatever. He also knows that it wasn’t just some invention of his brain, when he flips over his phone to turn off his alarm. There’s a text from Joshua, telling him good morning. 

Practically skipping, Junhui hauls himself out of bed and towards the bathroom for a shower, but he already feels much more awake. Seungkwan’s sitting at the breakfast bar with Minghao, probably gossiping before they go shopping or get coffee or cause other general mischief. Junhui waves, slipping past them towards the bathroom. 

“Morning, hyung! How was your mystery date?” 

“Let me shower, and I’ll tell you!” 

And he does, which leaves Minghao chuckling (he’s already heard the story probably six times), and Seungkwan leaning over the counter, mouth slack. “Wow, hyung. That is like, the opposite of getting murdered.” 

Junhui shrugs, walking back to the bathroom to shake out his dripping hair again. “I know, right?” 

“Why was he being all secretive, though?” 

“No idea, I didn’t really ask.” 

He can’t see Seungkwan from the bathroom, but he can tell he’s rolling his eyes. Minghao probably is, too. “I don’t mean to be a wet blanket here, hyung, but what if he’s like, married? With kids?” 

Junhui bristles, but not because it’s a new idea. The thought had been rolling around in his mind since he’d gotten home last night. For all of Junhui’s optimism, he’s not stupid. What if Joshua’s hiding from something, or someone? Why else would he be all secretive and covered up? 

He sighs, and rubs some product into his hair. Junhui doesn’t get to answer, though, because Seungkwan’s attention is quickly pulled away by a ding, probably from his phone. 

“Oh my god, hyung, look!” 

“Holy shit, is that Incheon?” 

“Yes, he’s in Korea, right now,  _ oh my god _ .” 

While Junhui is certainly used to Seungkwan’s short attention span, he’s still a little miffed that his very  _ real _ problems are being ignored for someone else. “Huh?” He calls from the bathroom. 

“Oh? Nothing, hyung. Joshua Hong is in Korea, that’s all.” 

“Who?” Junhui asks, padding into the kitchen. 

Seungkwan rolls his eyes and Minghao chuckles. “Only the most attractive man on the planet.” 

“He’s a singer from America, but he’s recently started coming to Korea, nobody knows why.” Minghao adds, helpfully. 

Junhui shrugs. He’s never really paid much attention to celebrities or singers, certainly not like Seungkwan or Soonyoung. “Okay, can he help me with my mystery man?” 

“Point taken. But he sings like an angel and is built like a god.” Seungkwan sighs, staring at his phone. Minghao frowns. 

“You’re dating  _ Mingyu _ , Seungkwan-ah.” 

Seungkwan looks up, a little dreamy. Junhui would’ve made fun of him for it any other day, but now he kinda gets it. “Yes, and he’s wonderful. A little high-maintenance sometimes, though.” 

“Wow, pot meet kettle.” 

Seungkwan scowls at Junhui. He turns to his laptop on the counter, though, and pulls something up on the screen. 

“You’re telling me that he’s  _ not _ the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen?” 

Junhui squints, and when the image comes into focus, his stomach drops.

“This is not happening.” He murmurs, suddenly feeling nauseous. 

“What?” Seungkwan asks, turning the screen back around to see why Junhui’s suddenly turning an unfortunate shade of green. “I know you have questionable taste, hyung, but you really don’t think he’s pretty?” 

Which is sort of the problem. Junhui thinks that the boy on Seungkwan’s computer is very pretty. He also looks a little different, with eye makeup and wavy caramel hair, instead of the blonde bits poking out from underneath his beanie. But Junhui’s certain, if by nothing other than the stone weighing heavy in his stomach, that it’s him. 

Minghao glances between the laptop and Junhui, who is white-knuckling the counter and probably only seconds away from collapse, and his mouth falls open. 

“No way,” He says, but he’s always been too smart for his own good. “No way, hyung,  _ no way _ .” But one look at Junhui’s expression tells Minghao that he’s correct, and his hand comes up to cover his mouth.

“What?” yelps Seungkwan. “Can someone tell me what’s going on?” 

“This is  _ not _ happening.” Junhui repeats, raking a hand through his damp hair. 

“ _ What _ isn’t happening?” 

“You’re sure?” is all Minghao says, looking up at Junhui, deadly serious. Junhui nods, and he can feel his fingertips shaking. “Positive.” 

“You’re sure about  _ what _ ?” Seungkwan demands, leaning over the counter. “I’m going to start throwing things if someone doesn’t tell me what’s happening.” 

“That,” Junhui answers, voice shaking. “Is my mystery date.” 

Seungkwan’s eyes widen, then narrow in disbelief. “You can’t be serious, hyung. Joshua Hong? He’s, like, the most famous person in America right now.” 

Junhui makes a strangled sound in the back of his throat. Minghao laughs, colorless. “The mummy. That explains why he came in all wrapped up.” 

“And why he was so anxious about being around people.” Junhui’s voice is strained, because  _ oh my god _ . “All of his texts were in English. He said he was giving me his  _ personal number _ ,” He groans. “I asked him if he had a landline!” 

Seungkwan lets out a laugh, still in disbelief. It transforms all the way into a fit of giggles, and Junhui’s only slightly tempted to deck him. “Hyung, is this a drama? You went on a date with  _ Joshua Hong _ ?” 

“Apparently.” Junhui is in pain. So much pain. 

Minghao snorts, which is just rude at this point. “You  _ made out _ with  _ Joshua Hong _ .” 

Junhui groans, deep from the bottom of his soul. Of course, he made out with an international celebrity, completely unaware of who he is. Why not? 

And, of course, he  _ really fucking likes _ him. Naturally, the first guy Junhui hits it off with since high school has to be some giant fucking celebrity. 

Seungkwan scoffs, irritated at Junhui’s crisis. Again,  _ rude _ . “You have to talk to him, hyung!” 

“What?” 

“Oh my god, hyung.” Seungkwan leans across the counter. “He gave you his  _ personal _ number. He obviously likes you! You  _ have _ to call him.” 

Which. Junhui had been too involved in panic mode to really consider that. He bites his lip, and glances between Minghao and Seungkwan. Minghao looks more amused than anything, which is upsetting, but whatever. 

“Okay, yeah.” He says, slowly gaining his nerve back. So what, if he’s an international celebrity? He ate sundae in his car  _ and _ tried to speak garbled Mandarin at Junhui less than 24 hours ago. “Yeah,  _ yeah _ !” Junhui yells, and takes off into his bedroom. 

He snatches up his phone and pulls up Joshua’s contact. He’s vaguely aware of Seungkwan hissing  _ oh my god hyung not right now  _ somewhere in the background, but he’s already walking into the kitchen as he presses the call button. The line rings three times before he’s connected, and he gets a chill that travels the whole way up his spine when Joshua answers. 

“ _ Good morning, sunshine. _ ” 

“Hi. Good morning.” He forces out, trying not to let the velvet of Joshua’s morning voice catch him off guard, and barrels through because  _ hot damn _ he can’t lose steam now. “Question.” 

Joshua laughs a little at that, and Junhui really wishes it wasn’t so fucking distracting. “ _ Okay, yes? _ ”

“Were you going to tell me that you’re an international celebrity, or was I supposed to figure it out on my own? Like, a treasure hunt or something?” Yeah, subtlety. Not his thing. 

There’s silence over the line, and Junhui watches as Minghao tries to stifle his giggles and Seungkwan holds his head in his hands. Then, there’s a snort followed by a spout of laughter. 

“ _ Can I pick you up? In like, 20 minutes? _ ” 

Well. It’s stupid, once again. Because Joshua’s already started their whatever-this-is by leaving out some pretty key information. And, he didn’t really answer the question. He could be a terrible, awful person, using Junhui as some sort of cover story or fuel for his next album. Junhui knows all of this, and also knows that he really shouldn’t say yes, if not for his own sanity, but for the people who care about him. But there’s a pull, in the bottom of his stomach, something new and familiar all at once. And, really, who is Junhui not to listen to it? 

“Yes, but we’re going to get coffee.” 

A chuckle. Man, is it dangerous. “ _ Deal. _ ” 

  
  


Seungkwan, predictably, follows Junhui around the apartment as he gets ready, babbling  _ oh my god hyung are you serious  _ or  _ i didn’t mean right this second  _ and  _ what do you mean you’re leaving right now?  _ Minghao just shrugs, and yells from the kitchen that Junhui should wear his green cardigan. 

Junhui pads back into the kitchen, slinging it over his shoulders. “Good call.” Minghao nods, and Seungkwan sputters in exasperation. “Hyung, this is crazy.” 

“Indeed, Seungkwan-ah.” Junhui agrees, because it is. He pauses only to fix his hair in the mirror by the door, and turns to catch his keys when Minghao tosses them to him. “Didn’t you have plans with Soonyoung-hyung?” 

“Soonyoung can take a rain check. I’ll text him later.” 

“ _ Hyung _ .” 

Junhui sighs, and releases his grip on the doorknob. He spins around to see Seungkwan, completely exasperated, and Minghao, sitting calmly at the counter. “I know, Seungkwan. I know this is crazy, okay?” 

Seungkwan wants to argue, but Junhui doesn’t let him. “I just have a  _ feeling _ , Seungkwan-ah. And I’ve done stupider things!” 

“Ain't that the truth.” Minghao snorts. Junhui gives him a look. 

Seungkwan groans. “Alright, but please be careful. Hot people are dangerous.” And boy, does Junhui know that. 

He swings open the door and says goodbye, grinning at the text from Joshua telling him to come outside. 

It’s a white SUV this time, but Junhui easily picks out Joshua sitting in the driver’s seat. His beanie has been replaced with a baseball cap, but the mask is the same. Junhui pulls open the door and slumps into the seat, not even a little ignorant to the way Joshua grins from under his mask. 

“Eerily familiar.” 

Joshua laughs. “Yeah, I know.” The car’s still in park, and he pulls out his phone as he turns to face Junhui. “What do you want? For coffee?” 

“Oh, there’s a place a couple blocks from here, if you wanna just go there.” 

Joshua pauses, then trails his eyes up with caution. “Actually, I was just gonna ask my manager to pick it up for us, if that’s okay.” 

“Right,” Junhui answers. “Your manager.” He’s a little amused, but there’s a solid thrum of anxiety underneath his skin. This, everything about it, feels like a gamble. 

“Look,” Joshua starts, locking his phone and twisting in his seat. “I was going to tell you, really, but you just had  _ no clue _ .” He sounds nervous, but there’s a certain fondness in his words. Junhui pushes down the feeling rising in his chest. “I thought you were pretending at first, to like, I don’t know, be a scumbag,” Junhui laughs. “But you really didn’t know who I was.” 

“Yeah, I’m not really very into celebrity gossip, but my roommate is.” 

Joshua nods. “I’m sorry, for not being honest.” Junhui shrugs. “I don’t know about that. I’d say you were more… selective, with your information.” Joshua snorts. “Unless everything you told me was a lie, because that’s pretty fucked up.” 

Joshua shakes his head, laughing. “No, no. That was all true.” 

“Then, yeah. Selective.” 

Junhui looks up at him, all covered up and masked in his fancy car. It’s kinda weird, but he finds that he doesn’t really hate it. Because Joshua doesn’t  _ feel _ like a celebrity, not by a long shot. He shifts in his seat, and Junhui watches the way he twists his fingers with nervousness. It is stupidly endearing. 

“Junhui,” He starts, even though he doesn’t really need to. He’s had Junhui’s full attention the whole time. “I know, you really didn’t sign up for all of this, and I totally understand if you’re not interested,” A pause, probably to gain his nerve. Which Junhui finds a little funny, considering he’s a big-time celebrity and Junhui is, well. Junhui. “But I really like you.” 

“Cool,” is the first thing out of Junhui’s mouth, because it’s pretty much the only thing in his brain. Joshua cracks up, and Junhui stumbles quickly, “And yes, yes.” He swallows. “I really like you, too.” 

Joshua grins. It’s horrible for Junhui’s heart, and he can only see the top of his face. “Cool,” He answers, and picks up his phone tentatively. “Coffee?” 

Junhui laughs. “We had a deal, didn’t we?” 

  
  


They get coffee, courtesy of Joshua’s Korean manager (a flustered-looking guy named Kihyun), and drive to a pretty viewing area next to the Han River. Joshua ditches his mask in favor of drinking his coffee, and the sight of his entire face is very welcome. Especially when he smiles and the tops of his cheeks tint pink. 

It’s about an hour after they get there, when Junhui looks around, making sure there’s nobody watching them. He leans in and kisses Joshua almost frantically, knowing that he definitely shouldn’t. He doesn’t pull away, though, just kisses him back and threads a hand into his hair. Dangerous, Joshua is nothing but dangerous. 

Junhui ends up pulling away, sitting back in his seat in a poor attempt of putting space between them. Joshua chuckles, wiping the spit off of his mouth as he sits up. 

“You just couldn’t wait, could you?” He’s laughing, but he’s breathless. 

And, well. Junhui’s never been a patient man. 

**Author's Note:**

> if you made it through, bless your heart and i sincerely appreciate you. 
> 
> i kinda love this prompt though and would really love to play more w shua's fame, so may write that as a way to continue procrastinating my wip. (pssst. it's superhero!bss... stay tuned)
> 
> thanks so much for reading! it means a lot! 
> 
> [twt!](https://twitter.com/97SUNSH1NE) come say hi!


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